Memories of Another Day
by Hareta
Summary: NOW & THEN. Kuro-Kyou friendship fic. Learn to trust fate and just...let go. NOW - Kuroudo just died. Kouya & the others must help Kyousuke overcome his grief while battling their own. THEN - Kuroudo moved to Japan, leaving his friends in France...
1. Default Chapter

**[Edited]**: This chapter has been revised. Nothing major, I just changed some lines to match those said in the series as well as Kuroudo's mother's name from _Armelle_ to _Francine_. And that Kuroudo really _was_ the Griffon captain. Credits go to Kazie Solo aka Kurudo Marume for the information utilized.  
  
  
**_NOW_**  
  
**Memories of Another Day : Prologue : The Graveyard**

He couldn't move. 

Much as he wanted to step up, place his hands on the cold surface of the gravestone, say his prayers and then run away as far as he can from that place, he couldn't - couldn't do anything except stand there unsteadily, supported by one of Lilika's trembling hands on the small of his back and Jirou's almost painful grip on his shoulder. Dark shades framed his eyes instead of the clear spectacles he often wore, to prevent anyone and everyone from seeing their red, swollen state. Last night - and the nights before - he cried so hard that he nearly fainted of exhaustion from it, but now no tears would come as if he had drained himself empty of them already. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything, couldn't even cry. 

The crowd of gearfighting fans - mostly young girls - eventually began to disperse. Soon, the only people left were the members of the Tobita Club, of the Griffon Team, and a beautiful pale-skinned flaxen-haired woman - all of them possessing identical feelings of sorrow and grief. 

Dark clouds gathered overhead. It's going to rain. 

~*~ 

_**Annoying.** _

Mitsuke and the others stood by the door to his workroom, unnerving in their efforts to get him out of the house. He shook his head and mumbled a definite, final '**no!**' before completely turning his back on them, doing his best to ignore them and concentrate on the gear in front of him. **He had work to do!** Moments after and the sound of footsteps walking away finally replaced that of insistent urging. Kyousuke smiled slightly, his eyes narrowing as he continued his research on his best friend's gear, the **Shooting Mirage**. 

Five minutes into it and he made a wrong move, knocking some of his tools off the table. He bent to pick them up, only to come to an abrupt stop when he spotted the pair of dark shoes off to the side. He straightened, a bit surprised to see the blonde gearfighter leaning against one of the walls, magnificent blue gaze on him. 

"What are you doing here?" 

"Waiting for you," Kuroudo answered, pushing away from the wall behind him with his two hands and taking a step towards the seated gear master, kneeling down to his level. "I've asked the others to wait outside. Please, Kyousuke, come with us." 

He blinked, staring at the adorable pleading look Kuroudo was giving him, committed it to his memory, and then finally nodded his head as a sign of agreement. The gearfighter smiled at him before standing up. He got to his feet as well, following the other out - his tools left scattered on the floor, forgotten. 

**And strange. If it had been any other person, such things wouldn't have happened. Why..?**

~*~ 

The Tobita Club, excluding its key members, bowed their heads as one, the group's unofficial leader of sorts taking a step forward and speaking for all of them in a soft, unnaturally shrill, trembling voice: "_Ku-kuroudo_-san...we thank you for everything. We will never forget your patience and kindness in training us, and the lessons you have taught us. May you be...be happy wherever you are now..." 

The small group of less skilled gearfighters slowly moved backward, almost all of them trying to suppress the sobs that shook their bodies, most of the females already crying with tears streaming down their cheeks. Those who couldn't take it anymore ran away, soon followed by the rest as their leader motioned for them to leave the people who had been much closer to Kuroudo-san than they had been. 

The first few raindrops started to fall. 

~*~ 

_His best friend's laughter rang in his ears. _

"What's so funny?" he asked irritably. 

"Nothing, I'm sorry," Kuroudo quickly replied, still grinning. He looked to where the others stood in a hardly recognizable straight line, kidding around and laughing. "Hey, Kyousuke..." 

"No, no, **absolutely** not," Kyousuke answered, shaking his head. "Whenever I try it, I get incredible hang-overs and mom makes me stay in the bed the whole day the next day. I can't afford to get sick now, you've got a fight tomorrow, Kuroudo!" 

The blonde just rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. "In any other day, you'd do it? So it's for me then?" he asked. Kyousuke silently nodded his head. "Well...Kyousuke, look, we're the only two who haven't ridden it yet, and I'm **not** going without my best friend. It's already the third for Mitsuke and Kesuya, and they're laughing their heads off at us. Come on, please, just once?" 

Kyousuke stared at him in utter disbelief. "I've already told you the reason, Kuroudo! And I'd rather be thought of as a chicken than miss your match tomorrow!" His resolve, however, has already began to evaporate with that **'best friend'** bit... 

Kuroudo unexpectedly frowned down at him and he was about ready to grab the sleeve of the other's white shirt and drag him towards their teammates when the blonde's smile returned. "Oh please, Kyousuke? Please? Just for me?" He sounded just like a small child asking for candy that Kyousuke almost smiled himself. 

"Oh, alright," the gear master relented, not wanting to see his best friend frown again. Beaming at him, Kuroudo took his small hand with his slender one and they both walked to join the rest of the Team - who were then all standing in line for the roller coaster ride. 

**And strange. If it had been any other person, such things wouldn't have happened. Why..?**

~*~ 

Mitsuke moved forward and kneeled down in front of the gravestone, right index finger absent-mindedly tracing the name engraved on its surface while he looked up to the small angel sitting on top of it. The rest of the Griffon Team stood behind or beside the Tobita Team, with Kesuya holding and supporting the blonde woman who was crying so hard she looked ready to collapse. 

"You were always there for us," he whispered, words barely audible but didn't go unheard by the others. "Our adviser, our comrade, our leader, our...friend. You were the _hero_ of the Griffon Team, the greatest of gearfighters, the one we always asked help from and the one who always got us out of trouble - _even **after** you left the team_." 

"...But you never did leave, _did you_, Kuroudo? You were always there for us, _always_," Mitsuke said, voice shaking, standing up as raindrops mingled with the tears flowing freely from his eyes. "You were and will _always be_ a part of Griffon, Kuroudo...We will all miss you." 

Kesuya handed the woman he was holding to the care of the Tobita team's manager as Mitsuke stood up and faced them, telling them that it was time to leave even as tears pooled in his eyes and sobs racked his entire frame. With a last look at his friend's grave and a squeeze on the gear master's shoulder that was meant to comfort the both of them, the dark-haired gearfighter turned and followed his leader in leaving. 

"Thank you...Good-bye." 

~*~ 

_**We did it! If you win this match, you'll be the Crush Gear Singles Champion!** _

He watched as his best friend walked up to the arena, his hands turning into fists in anticipation. Excitement chased the feeling of nervousness out of him and he smiled reassuringly as the blonde gearfighter looked back at him for encouragement, before raising his gear above his head as was the first stance in his release. 

**What? Oh. Yeah... I guess.**

He waited, but Kuroudo never released his gear. The gearfighter had his eyes closed, concentrating, and Kyousuke knew for sure that he was listening to the sounds of the Shooting Mirage. He flinched and the gearmaster couldn't help but flinch as well, wondering what was wrong now. He had made certain the purple gear was in perfect condition today. Perhaps even **too** perfect. 

**Don't worry about it! With my talent in fixing Gears and your skill in Gear Fighting, no one can ever beat us! You can do it! Here!**

His best friend lowered his right hand to his side, and with it came his gear. Then came the words that had frozen their friendship in ice for over a year after that day, words that neither of them will ever forget for the rest of their lives... 

"Forgive me. I'm cheating." 

Shouts and confused murmurs came from the audience, deafening. Kyousuke covered his ears with his hands to block off the sounds, a part of him already worrying over his best friend who had the keenest sense of hearing among those he knew. He still didn't know the reason for the uproar as Kuroudo slowly stepped down from the arena, or perhaps he was just refusing to acknowledge it. 

"Kyousuke." 

He looked up to the owner of that sweet melodious voice, his right hand coming up on reflex to catch the miniscule object thrown at his direction. He glanced down at his hand, quickly spotting the green microchip on his open palm. The situation they were in then hit him with such a force that he almost lost his balance, the microchip fell to the floor as he walked towards his best friend with stumbling steps. 

"Why, Kuroudo, **why**?" he asked, grabbing the front of the gearfighter's white polo shirt and purple vest. He took a step closer, shutting his eyes close as he lay his head on his two fists and on his best friend's chest. "Why? I've only made sure that you'll win!" 

Their position didn't last long. With his left hand on the gearmaster's shoulder Kuroudo pushed him away, turning his back on him without a word. Kyousuke didn't do anything to protest, he just turned around himself and picked the fated microchip off the floor, running out of the stadium as fast as he could. 

That was when he lost his will, and for over a year no one in the gearworld heard of the genius gearmaster Kyousuke Jin. 

**And strange. If it had been any other person, such things wouldn't have happened. Why..?**

~*~ 

Lilika Tobita glanced worriedly at Kyousuke and then at Jirou, the latter understanding the look as he nodded his head and tightened his hold on the former. A little reassured, she slowly released the gearmaster and handed him over to the largest gearfighter in the Tobita Team, moving to take from Kaoru the blonde woman, Francine Marume. The young girl who was crying nearly as hard as Kuroudo's mother found solace in the arms of the leader of the Tobita Team moments later, as the two older females moved forward and said their inaudible prayers, the younger ones managing to catch only a single word, accompanied with so much pain it could have rivaled an endless requiem: _son_. 

Kouya carefully stepped up beside the women, Kaoru sobbing into his rain-soaked shirt. Finally, the brunette unburied herself from her friend's arms and with a tear-stricken face not so obvious in the rain, spoke softly: "Why did you have to _leave_ us? Why _now_? It's too early for you and..._the team, Kuroudo, we_...why..._why_..?" 

Sobbing uncontrollably, she completely separated herself from Kouya and ran away, followed shortly after by two tall, slender figures, leaving Kuroudo's closest friends, his gearfighting comrades, in front of his grave. 

~*~ 

_I do things I normally would not for him... _

Grant him all he wishes and give in to all he asks of me... 

I've done my everything so that he could win all of his battles... 

Thinking up means no other in the gearworld has ever thought of... 

And no matter what he does, I can never be angry with him... 

No matter how much he hurts me, I still love him... 

**And strange. If it had been any other person, such things wouldn't have happened. Why..?**

~*~ 

The three of them stood unmoving, staring at the name engraved on the stone, but not really seeing it, not really believing it. They've heard the others crying, they themselves were crying, but still... 

The four of them of them have been through a lot. True, Kouya had only forced the other three into joining the team, but years have passed already from that time and now it almost feels like they've been friends their whole lives. And to let go of one of the _four_... 

Jirou finally broke the deathly silence swirling about them, as cold and as painful as the raindrops falling heavenly upon them. 

"_We'll meet again someday, right? I wish you well, Kuroudo, good-luck._" 

"_We'll always be soulmates, Kuroudo. I'll never forget you, I promise_," Kouya said quickly after Jirou, placing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. 

And Kyousuke... 

**And strange. If it had been any other person, such things wouldn't have happened. Why..?**

"_But it hadn't been any other person, it had been **you**, Kuroudo_," Kyousuke said through his sobs, falling upon his knees at the same time he spoke the gearfighter's name. "_I've done everything because of you, because you're my **best friend**._" 

And everything went black. 

~TBC~ 

**SDA** or **Standard Disclaimers Applied** - in laymen's terms, I do not own CGT. 

**Dedication/s**: To my friends at the crushgear community - Kouya, Kaoru, Kyousuke, and Takeshi - most especially to my dear friend Kuroudo. [If you are wondering, yes, I _am_ the one who ended up as Jirou, the story of such I care not to relate here, taking into consider its longevity.] Sorry if it took so long, guys, you know the deal I am in now. I've posted this one but I still say that the first draft had been better... 

**Note/s**: First, _Armelle_ is **not** Madam Marume's real name. I just ripped that off Kaz's fic, Amidst the Silence, for the heck of it. Second, I disclaim the previously mentioned subject, I neither own it nor was I the one who thought of the name. Third, I had been planning on 'Cause you're my best friend' for the last part, but realized that that was the exact title of klyukaizer's past fic and therefore changed it to a more lengthy one - which is in my opinion less melancholic. Fourth, similarities may be spotted between this fic and those of klyukaizer's and Kaz's- their fics I am quite fond of, true - but I assure you that no _plagiarism_ has been committed. So there. ^^ 


	2. The Rain

**[Edited]**: This chapted has been revised. Nothing major, I just changed some lines to match those said in the series. Also, that small part about Griffon practices...Credits go to Kazie Solo aka Kuroudo Marume for information used to do this. 

**Memories of Another Day : Chapter 1 : The Rain**

_...His father said he has already regained consciousness and as far as he knows, Kyousuke has been locked up in the basement the whole morning. It might be good if you and Jirou go check on him..._

"Kyousuke? Hey, Kyousuke, open up!" 

A series of loud, hurried knocks followed the shout. The door didn't open and no one responded from the inside. Kouya Marino, the young captain of the Tobita gearfighting team, gave the hard surface a few more raps before giving up, sighing as he turned to look up at his taller friend, who was then leaning against one of the walls of the narrow stairway they were in. 

"No answer," he announced, shaking his head. "Like always. Guess he'll never change, huh?" 

"Don't say that," Jirou chided, making a mess of his hair with one hand. 

"Hey, stop that!" 

"Besides, I don't think Kyousuke's here..." he trailed off, looking at the closed door doubtfully. He tried it, locked of course. 

"Huh? What do you mean? Where else can he be? Of course he's-" Kouya abruptly broke off, eyes going wide as Jirou produced a ring of keys from inside his pocket. A soft _'click'_ came from the other side moments later. Kouya shook himself awake from his stupor. "Hey, I didn't know you had keys to this place! Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. 

"Why, did you ask me about it?" Jirou retorted, pocketing the keys Lilika had sent with them. He looked back at Kouya curiously when the brunette didn't snap a reply at him. The moment he saw his friend's downcast eyes though, a memory re-surfaced and he felt like kicking himself... 

~*~ __

"...but you see, I thought you dropped out of Gear Fighting a year ago. Don't tell these people managed to convince you to return?" Takeshi asked, ignoring the glares Kouya and Kaoru were giving him. 

" I don't owe you an explanation," Kuroudo answered cooly, meeting his gaze calmly. 

"You're right," Takeshi replied, turning away from him. He started up the stairs leading to the building where registration for the Asian Cup were being held, taunting Kouya as he passed - "You know, I bet your team can make it to the last slot." 

"We're going to be the champions, just wait and see!" Kouya declared angrily. "I swear, Takeshi, we're going to win all the matches in the tournament!" 

Takeshi paused, looking at him. "We'll see about that, Marino," he answered, continuing on his way. Kouya glared at his retreating form for awhile, seething, until - 

"I'm sorry for being late. I'm Kuroudo Marume, by the way," Kuroudo introduced himself to Lilika, bowing slightly with a gentleman-like air about him. The owner of the Tobita team looked somewhat impressed. 

"Don't worry about it, Kuroudo. My name is Lilika Tobita." 

Kouya turned around to face them, looking a little sulky. "Hey, Kuroudo! Takeshi tried to convince you to join his team, right? Why didn't you tell us about it?" he asked their newest teammate. 

"Why, did you ask me about it?" Kuroudo replied testily. 

~*~ 

Jirou looked at his young friend silently and then cleared his throat, trying to look like he didn't know what was going on inside his head - unfortunately _without_ success. He put on a smile - though it looked absolutely _fake_ - and hit Kouya gently on the back. The brunette stumbled forward, thrusting his arms in front of him to avoid hitting the door face first. 

"_Jirou_!" 

"I'm sorry, Kouya," Jirou apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, Lilika only lent me the key to Kyousuke's room. She's got everyone's, I think...at least, ours - yours, Kaoru's, mine, Kyousuke's and Kuro..." he trailed off. 

"...yeah. Well, open the door already," Kouya told him. 

"Yes, sir!" Jirou answered, doing a mock salute before throwing the door open. They entered an empty room. 

"Yeah, you were right, he's not here," Kouya said, looking around. There weren't even any tools on Kyousuke's table, it was bare except for two things illuminated by the gearmaster's ever-turned-on desk lamp - the _Dino Spartan_ and _Shooting Mirage_. 

"Where do you think he went off to?" Jirou asked. Although he looked morseful, so he probably already knew. 

"Do you even need to ask that?" Kouya answered, sighing. 

~*~ 

Kyousuke Jin sat on the dirty ground, his back against the marker on his best friend's grave, looking up at the sky with a dull, lifeless shade to his usually livid black eyes. He visibly relaxed, allowing the gravestone behind him to support all his weigth, before he curled up into a tight ball, bringing his knees against his chest and burying his head in his arms. 

"You just can't be dead," he whispered to no one in a soothing voice, rocking back and forth. "I...just won't have it. It's impossible." 

Harsh cold wind blew across the empty cemetery, making him shiver. He shivered again, but this time, of the sobs that were forcing their way out of his small body. A brief war waged inside of him, one that left him shaking, silent tears streaming down his ashen cheeks unchecked as he hugged himself tighter. 

"Kuroudo, you can't leave me...please, don't..." 

He remained in that position for a few more minutes, crying, his attempts to console himself only ending him up with even more tears. Every word that escaped him pulled him deeper into the pool of his own grief and, as another cold draft passed, he wished even more that his best friend was there beside him, the arms around him not his own but Kuroudo's... 

After a long while he finally uncurled, looking up at the sky again. It was beginning to darken. 

~*~ 

_It's raining...of course it is... _

You loved the rain, didn't you? You said it's because the rain drives the sun away and then I'd be free to come out of the house. When it rains, I can be with you and we can go wherever we want without thinking about the sun. You hate the sun because I hate it. I hate it because it hurts my eyes and I cannot go out and be with you. 

It's raining now...I waited for you to come for me...but you didn't...where are you... 

Remember that day we went to the park? It was storming and we were the only ones there. It was crazy. If anyone could have seen us, they would have thought we were insane. But the park was beautiful in the rain, and peaceful because there was no one else but us. We sat by the pond, soaking wet but not caring at all, and threw stones at the waters. We didn't speak much but that was okay. The next day, we both got sick and had to miss the Griffon practices. The whole team thought that their most valuable gearfighter and captain, as well as their gearmaster, were both out of their minds. 

It's raining now...I don't care if I get sick...or what anyone might think...where are you... 

It's raining...of course it is...it always is...it was raining the day I met you, it was raining the best days we were together, it was raining the day you died, it was raining the day we buried you...it's raining now, Kuroudo, and I want you by my side. 

The rain is still here, I'm still here...where are you? 

I hate the rain, it reminds me so much of you... 

I love the rain, because with it I can still feel you. 

~TBC~ 

SDA or Standard Disclaimers Applied - in laymen's terms, I do not own CGT. 

**Dedication/s:** To all my friends at the crushgear community - Kouya, Kaoru, Kyousuke, Kuroudo, Takeshi, Lilika, Wang Hu, everyone. Thanks for all your support. Sorry if this update is late, you know the facts, people. I sure hope it won't take me another light year to get another chapter up... 

**Note/s:** Oh, how I love angst. Not much to be noted, except that this was one hard-to-write chapter. I didn't use MS Word so please excuse any mispelled words and/or some grammatical errors. This one's shorter than the prologue, I think, and I don't suppose I'll be writing any chapter as long as it(the pro). Oh, and yeah, this is _no_ slash fic. I think yaoi hints are appearing here and there in this chapter and the pro, but I assure you that you'll find almost none in the chapters to come. 


	3. The Ring

**[Edited]**: This chapter has been fully revised. *smirk*  
  
  
**_THEN_**  
  
**Memories of Another Day : Prologue : The Ring**  
  
His Mediterrenean blues blinked repeatedly to clear his vision, which was made blurry by the rain that dripped from his blonde bangs straight down to his eyes. He kept on wiping water from his cheeks but the act was futile as his hands and arms were equally wet as his face, as the rest of his body. He wished he had thought of bringing an umbrella, or that it hadn't started to rain at all, but both were wishes of the past and so, of course, impossible. And even if he did have the power to make a difference in what has already been he would still be here, perhaps not soaking wet under the rain, but still here, stuck in this country, Japan.   
  
Kuroudo didn't want to be in the Land of the Rising Sun, didn't want to fly halfway across the world to live in a place where he would start out as a complete stranger, knowing no one except himself and his parents. He wanted to be back _home_, in the beautiful country of France, back with his friends whose comfort he was robbed of so quickly, with the arrival of an invitation from the one person neither Kuroudo's mother nor he could say no to. His father.   
  
Hideaki Marume was never really much of a fraternal figure. Kuroudo vaguely remembered him from the first seven years of his life in which his father was contented to live their poor but happy lifestyle in France, the country of his mother. But words of the industrialized country of Japan reached his father's ears and an exact month after Kuroudo's eighth birthday he left, to search for riches in _his_ country. Communications were maintained, yes, but in the long absence Kuroudo's heart slowly but surely drifted from that of his father. He had been gone long, far too long, three years to be exact. And then, all too suddenly and abruptly for his half-French son, he decided to have a large part of their lives again, inviting them to live with him where they would be comfortable, if not pampered.   
  
Of course, that wasn't what was written in his telegram. He just said he wanted his family to be together again and whole, with as little sentimentality and as much manliness as was possible. But those were Kuroudo's thoughts as he first stepped into their new house or, more appropriately, _mansion_. His father really had done well, far better than any of them had ever expected. Kuroudo only wished he had done so in France.   
  
But they were now here, and there was no changing that. And with all the beautiful memories of his friends in his heart, Kuroudo had only allowed a single thing to take the tangible form of their eternal friendship, his crushgear. He yearned for it in the coldness of the rain but was glad he had not brought it out with him, in fear that water might damage its parts, or rust it. He could recall the day he first used it like it was yesterday, his first gearfight, though unofficial it may be, where he first tasted victory against another French kid who was a rich, ar---   
  
He was harshly brought back to reality from his yet to begin trip down memory lane by the sudden halt of the downpour. He looked up only to see black waterproof cloth and metal wires. He immediately recognized them for what they were a part of, an umbrella.   
  
"Your mother told me to leave you alone for awhile, give you time to adjust, but when the rain started..."   
  
He shook his head. "I'm alright, Dad."   
  
"Listen, you're going to catch a cold in these damp clothes out here. Why don't we go home and you get yourself fixed up? Your mother just made tea for when you return. Come on," his father continued, one hand already on his shoulder to steer him around. He shrugged his shoulder to get it out of his grip.   
  
"Please," he bit out, so soft that it was almost inaudible compared to the sound of rain hitting the top of the umbrella. "Let me be. Leave me alone. Just let me...let me go," he whispered a little louder. He heard the man clear his throat, the sound succeeded by a defeated sigh moments later, and then felt something heavy fall on top of him, followed by another, lighter weight. The umbrella still hovered some feet above his head. He put on the dry, bulky jacket and the light blue plastic raincoat and mumbled an assurance to his father, before walking away.   
  
He heard heavier footsteps going the other way.   
  
~*~   
  
His pants were thoroughly soaked. Coldness seeped in and made him grit his teeth but he did nothing except to kick off the soft, wet, almost muddy ground, the coarse ropes that held the swing cutting into his palms as he grasped it tightly while lifting his feet off the ground --- stretching it in front of him, then underneath his seat, then in front of him again, keeping the swing in motion. Blasts of air met him from front and behind as he moved like a pendulum, with each arc becoming wider than the last, and he felt even colder. His chest and arms were more or less warmed by the warm jacket he had over his shirt, the raincoat prevented it from getting wet, but both recently added garments only reached up to his waist and his lower limbs felt like they were freezing. Still, he did not stop.   
  
He couldn't understand how his parents could do this him, but, much worse, he couldn't understand how _he_ had allowed them to do this to him. He did not put up a fight when his mother told him about it, at least, not as much as one would expect from a person who had just been told that he would have to leave everything he had ever known as his life in a _week_. He had not protested, not sulked around but instead began at once to pack his things and figure out a plan to tell his friends without breaking their hearts.   
  
Something no amount of planning could have he avoided.   
  
Not one of them took it well. Their frustrated shouts echoed in his mind on his way home that day, his friends' tears on the front of his shirt, and a large bruise forming on the side of his head, courtesy of Vichie who punched him right after Avril burst into tears upon hearing the news. Up to now, Kuroudo still couldn't believe how much his arch-nemesis was affected. He went so far as to make a deal that if he beat him in a duel, Kuroudo wouldn't leave France, but Kuroudo came out victor both in fencing and gearfighting. The other blonde had stalked off angrily but Kuroudo would swear his life he had seen tears in his eyes then. Vichie disappearing around a corner was the last thing Kuroudo saw of him before he was buried under his four, sobbing best friends.   
  
Someone was yelling. He couldn't hear it clearly because of the rain. Kuroudo tried to anchor his feet onto the ground to stop himself but they sank _in_to the mud instead. He jerked them out and found his white running shoes ruined. He didn't care though, and stood up from the swing. The shouts became louder as he came nearer but then altogether stopped. He quickened his pace, rashly if not dangerously scaling a small slippery hill, expecting the person he had heard on the other side --- and came to an abrupt stop at what he saw.   
  
Kuroudo's first gearfight had been outdoors, even though matches were usually done indoors on a stage. However, where he had played then was nothing near to what was before him now. Instead of a raised platform for the players, there was a clear patch of land cleared of the green grass to mark the spot where they were to stand, on level ground. For the ring itself, where the gears would be battling --- it was odd, the ground seemed to have been hollowed out. A large, open space had been dug and Kuroudo knew it was a gearfighting ring because it was the exact same size and shape. It couldn't have been anything else with such lines marked out on the packed dirt, with the release lines painted on to his surprise. It delighted Kuroudo and he knew that he would be coming to this place every single afternoon after his classes in his new school and ---   
  
His eyes had been scanning the make-shift ring, trying to discover how rainwater hadn't filled it up yet, when they fell on a dark figure bent over something near the right end of it. Frowning, he jumped down into the ring and brisk-walked the short distance between him and the mysterious person. Kuroudo briefly wondered why though. It certainly wasn't out of concern --- the person had his own black raincoat --- so perhaps it was out of simple curiosity. He definitely hadn't been expecting anyone else beside himself out at such weather, in a gearfighting ring much less.   
  
Only about three steps away, he hesitated. All Kuroudo could see of him was his back but the half-French knew that the person was extremely concentrated on something, otherwise he would have heard him approach. He didn't want to intrude on or disturb anything but the person _did_ have the hood of his raincoat pulled down and it was still raining extremely hard....   
  
"Excuse me, but are you alright?" Kuroudo asked, tentatively taking the last few steps and wincing slightly upon hearing the French accent still in his voice, he had been practicing on covering it up since he got the news. His father used to teach him both English and Japanese, something his mother continued when he left. Considering he also studied and practiced English in school while he only knew of two people who spoke Japanese, it was a surprise that he came out exceptionally fluent in the latter language, like a native, while his words in the former had always been heavily accentuated.   
  
He saw the figure tense upon hearing his words. The other stood up and slowly turned around, slipping something into the pocket of his raincoat as he did. If it weren't for the rain, Kuroudo would have sworn it was a crushgear --- that they were inside a gearfighting ring didn't make the guess all too improbable. The moon was hidden behind storm clouds so except for a silhouette that reached up only to his shoulder with dark hair and spectacles, Kuroudo couldn't see much of the person. He was looking up though, and Kuroudo could practically _feel_ the other's eyes on his face, taking in his blonde hair and blue eyes, if he could see them anyway.   
  
"I'm fine, thank you," he replied in a monotone, strained sort of voice. Kuroudo had the distinct impression that the person was trying to make his voice sound different. Then, with no warning, he was running away from the blonde, making his way out of the ring.   
  
Kuroudo was a bit surprised that he neither found it rude nor did he run after the dark figure that now had climbed back to level ground. He suddenly had this unexplainable feeling that kept him from doing either thing.   
  
Somehow, he knew they would meet again.   
  
_**to be continued...**_  
  


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**_Author's Notes:_** Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been thinking on how to get things back on track. See, as you might've noticed in the second chapter, I said it was _raining_ on the day they met. If you've read this chapter before, it wasn't raining. After much deliberation, I decided to just re-write the thing. Finding out that Kuroudo was the Griffon Team Captain clinched in the decision for me. Now if I can only figure out what to do with '_My Best Friend_'. It wasn't raining there either...anyways, I hope you enjoyed this update. I'll have the next chapter within this week, I suppose. Chapter dedicated to my new friend killua rucilful. Read his '_Fake Wings_'. I'm not going to say it's good coz I helped write it and anything I do can't be good...   
  
_**Disclaimers**_: I don't own CGT.   
  



	4. The School

**Memories of Another Day : Chapter 1 : The School**  
  
"Kuroudo Marume!"   
  
Kuroudo turned around upon hearing his name said by a voice he couldn't place. Two brunettes who had just entered the school gates were looking right at him, one of them waving. He slowed down to a stop, allowing them to catch up, while he wondered who they were and how they knew him. He certainly didn't know _them_.   
  
He raised an eyebrow at one of them as a greeting and it was answered by a curt nod. The person's companion seemed a bit too over-enthusiastic, although he couldn't get one word out past his widely grinning lips. Kuroudo returned it with a small smile of his own and figured it would be better for the two to introduce themselves before he asked any questions. It was relief that one of them understood what was on the half-French's mind at that instant.   
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Mitsuke Ohmori and this is my friend, Kesuya Shichigawa," the one with a lighter tone of brown hair said, extending his hand for a shake. No bows, no formalities. Kuroudo took the offered hand and shook it. He then shook Kesuya's. Following Mitsuke's lead, Kuroudo walked next to him towards the school building with the darker brunette slightly behind him. "We're in the same grade," Mitsuke announced upon reaching the doors. Kuroudo took the opportunity to ask what he had been wanting to ask since they had called out to him. It was rather rude but....   
  
"Do you know me?" Wrong question. Wasn't it yet obvious that they knew him? Kuroudo had been aiming for 'How come you know me?' but 'Do you know me?' popped out of him instead. It was fortunate that both Mitsuke and Kesuya didn't seem to have taken any offense. The former opened his bag and took out a notebook, flipped through it, marked a page, and handed it to the blonde. Kuroudo took it curiously and found a printout of his gearfighting record along with a picture of himself. "But you were far from me, by the gates, how did you know it was me?"   
  
"The image is in black-and-white but they said you had blonde hair. You weren't too hard to pick out. Most students here have either black or brown hair --- in varying shades," Mitsuke explained. Kuroudo only shook his head, closed the notebook, and returned it to him.   
  
"But how did you know I would be coming here? I just arrived yesterday, the GFA wouldn't have heard of it already," Kuroudo reasoned out. "And besides," he added in a casual voice as he looked up and down the hall for the lockers, "my leaving France wouldn't have been much of a news. I'm not that yet well-known enough to be kept tabs on."   
  
"You know that's not true. You and your Shooting---" Mitsuke began but was cut off by Kesuya.   
  
"Avril's a distant cousin of mine," the brunette spoke up suddenly, almost making Kuroudo jump. He had nearly forgotten that he was there. "You do know Avril, don't you? She said she knows the best rookie player Kuro---"   
  
"Yeah, I know her," Kuroudo assured him, "but what do you mean by 'best rookie player'? I certainly haven't heard that one before."   
  
"Oh, the GFA website is not our only source," Mitsuke replied off-handedly as he returned his notebook to his bag. "There are a lot of other unofficial sites out there, those that focus on one place alone, you know? In English too so that most people would understand. They've dubbed you the 'best rookie player' of France since you're so new to gearfighting but have a really impressive record. GFA only considers your official wins, which is a remarkable six out of six battles, but we've got a rough estimate of your total wins which include your unofficial fights --- 23 with zero looses, right?"   
  
"27," Kuroudo answered automatically, the number of fights he had participated in yet always on his mind, but he was frowning. "What site is this? I can't imagine how they've kept such a good track of me when I---"   
  
"Vichie," Kesuya said and the name made Kuroudo immediately look at him. "Vichie owns and manages the site along with a few other friends of his. A whole account of your first ever gearfight is there, and summaries of the ones after that. Avril and your other friends have been helping him, they've seen most of your fights. The news on you coming to here was up yesterday morning. I've never seen Vichie so pissed. He hasn't beaten you yet, you know?"   
  
Kuroudo nodded his head absent-mindedly. He never knew these things although perhaps that was because he didn't have a computer then. Avril had one and it was very unlikely Vichie didn't. He vaguely remembered Avril mentioning something about a Japanese cousin when he told her he was half-Japanese. Was that Kesuya then?   
  
The bell rang. Mitsuke borrowed his class card, took a glance at it, and told him the three of them were in the same homeroom class before returning it. He trailed after the two, aware of the many heads that turned his way as they walked down the hall. Mitsuke was right, most of the students had either brown or black hair, with matching dark-coloured eyes. He definitely stood out.   
  
Mitsuke and Kesuya stopped in front of a door and entered as the second bell rang. He was about to do so too when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. His homeroom teacher stood behind him, smiling.   
  
"Marume Kuroudo?" she asked, but hurried on before Kuroudo even opened his mouth to form a reply, "Of course, of course. You'll be the only new student in this section. You can't go in yet, I'll have to introduce you and---oh wait, I'll have someone take roll call first."   
  
~*~   
  
The door opened. Kyousuke looked away from the outside to see two brunettes enter the class. The second bell had just rung, they were just in time. He sat right next to the windows, in the column farthest away from the door, a seat from the front of class. Scowling at the lighter-haired of the two as he reached them, the other just grinned at him as he placed his bag down on the desk-chair behind and to the right of his.   
  
"You were almost late! Where have you been?" he reprimanded in a soft voice audible only to the two. Something must have been up, Kesuya often came late but Mitsuke was always early. Maybe the other brunette's tardiness had rubbed off on him. "And where's Seiyuki?" he added, realizing there was still someone missing in the usual trio.   
  
"Wow, someone sure is paranoid today," he heard Kesuya say cheerfully in the seat behind his but ignored it.   
  
"Huh? Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. Seyuki's not enrolled for this year, his family's moving to Taiwan," Mitsuke answered. "By the way, Kyousuke, did you know---"   
  
"All right, settle down now, everyone," Miss Rosita said as she entered the classroom, cutting him off.   
  
Kyousuke shot the student behind him a glance before slipping out of his desk and standing to the left of it as well as he could, given there was barely any space between it and the wall. After saying the morning greetings along with everyone else, he sat back down and returned to staring out of the window, sighing. There were only two reasons he relents to stay in class: one, he doesn't care to being called a delinquent and is no bully; and two, the money he uses in research comes from his weekly allowance of course. If it weren't for those things, he wouldn't be here at all.   
  
"Section A, roll call! Mikaya, would you do it please?"   
  
"Yes, ma'am!"   
  
Kyousuke turned to see Mikaya go to the front of class and take over roll call, their teacher went back outside. Before the door closed behind her, Kyousuke thought he saw something blond on something blue...   
  
"Jin Kyousuke!"   
  
"Present!" Kyousuke's response came almost automatically. He turned around in his seat and waited for the next name.   
  
"Ohmori Mitsuke!" He and Mitsuke weren't really that close as some might think, but they had been in the same class since second grade and their names had always been next to each other in the list. Kyousuke was pretty much a loner and only spoke to Mitsuke, Kesuya and Seiyuki.   
  
"Present!" Two seats behind his, Mitsuke turned to him and shook his head slightly, but was smiling. Kyousuke wondered about the weird reaction.   
  
With the calls finished, Mikaya walked back to her seat and to her group of girlfriends. Her face was red and she was giggling. As soon as she sat down, her head was lost to Kyousuke in a see of tresses, braids, curls, ribbons, clips, headbands and what-nots the girls had on their heads. Whispers and then more giggling. Kyousuke was trying to make up his mind whether to roll his eyes or gag. He settled for the former.   
  
"Mitsuke's not next to you this time. The new kid ended up in our class," Kesuya Shichigawa whispered into his ear. His hands were braced on the top of Kyousuke's backrest, leaning forward with all the weight on his own chair's front legs.   
  
Kyousuke nodded but did not offer any opinion. He was skeptical. Kesuya was probably just putting him on. The school rarely allowed new students to be in the best section in their first year unless the marks they got on their entrance exams were exceptionally high. Ever since he transferred here around three years ago, back in second grade, he had heard of only one person who had managed to do that --- himself.   
  
Miss Rosita re-entered the room and Kesuya's chair dropped back on its hind legs, almost toppling over if it weren't for Mitsuke's support. He couldn't turn around because their teacher was already in front of class and that would be disrespectful, but he heard Kesuya's mumbled apologies and thanks anyway, and could almost see Mitsuke's tolerating smile.   
  
"Class, this year we have a new student in Section A," the teacher announced, pausing as a tide of noise passed through the crowd inside the room. Everyone knew who it was apparently. The teacher continued as the sounds subsided, "He was top of his former class and got 93% of the entrance exam to our school correct." Another wave of murmuring. "Minna, I want you to welcome your new classmate: Marume Kuroudo."  
  
_**to be continued...**_  
  


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**_Author's Notes:_** Choppy, isn't it? Sorry. I sort of mixed the old Ch. 3, my plans for the 'old' Ch. 4 and _this_ Ch. 4. If you've read the old chapter 3, you'll know that there Mitsuke started the Griffon Team, but since I found out Kuroudo is the Griffon Capt...in this story, at least, in this _part_ of the story, not one of them are Griffon members yet, alright? Btw, I'm sticking to Kesuya though I know it's 'Kazuya'. Oh and in case you're puzzled with the seating arrangement, it's easy. Kyousuke's last column, second row, Kesuya sits behind him, last column third row, while Mitsuke is next to Kezuya, right-behind of Kyousuke, second to last column, third row. Seiyuki used to sit next to Kyousuke but now...  
  
W |**Kyousuke**|__|**Seiyuki/Kuroudo**|  
W |**Kesuya**|____|**Mitsuke**|  
  
W = Window/Wall  
Got me?  
  
_**Disclaimers**_: I don't own CGT.   
  



End file.
